Rise-Ghana, UNICEF sensitise communities to polio through drama

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target for ending preventable newborn and child deaths by 2030 and Ghana New Born Care Action Plan target cannot be met without ensuring all eligible children are reached and immunised.

This is because timely vaccination of children is a proven method for saving lives from vaccine-preventable diseases.

It is based on this background that Rise-Ghana, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in the Upper East Region, with support from UNICEF-Ghana, is using drama and advocacy durbars to rally the support of parents in the region to ensure that their children who are under-five years are vaccinated against polio in all the 15 districts of the region.

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) last year announced that it would embark on a nationwide polio vaccination for all children under five years.

The decision for the action followed a setback the country suffered in its attempt to achieve a polio-free status, as 10 cases of polio were reported in some parts of the country from June in 2019.

Community staged dramas

In a statement, the Executive Director of Rise-Ghana, Mr Awal Ahmed Kariama, said so far, more than 100,000 people and over 1,000 gate keepers, influencers and duty bearers had been reached with information on polio through community staged dramas.

He said aside from the dramas, the NGO had also been organising advocacy durbars in the communities to sensitise the people to the need to get their under-five children vaccinated for the polio disease.

He explained that immunisation coverage in the Upper East Region against vaccine-preventable childhood diseases was low as compared to other regions.

Mr Kariama said UNICEF had engaged a number of civil society organisations (CSOs) of which Rise-Ghana was part to support the emergency response to the resurfacing of the polio disease through interactive community approaches such as advocacy and drama with key stakeholders on polio.

He noted that early vaccination of children against some killer diseases could help the country to achieve SDG 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote the well-being of all.

“Polio is a highly contagious disease that can cause paralysis or even death,” Mr Kariama said, pointing out that, “The only way to prevent polio is to vaccinate a baby shortly after she or he is born.”

Mr Kariama has, therefore, commended UNICEF and the Ghana Health Service for the various initiatives they are taking to combat the polio disease in the country.